¡Estoy acá!

I am finally settling in Buenos Aires. I had a very smooth arrival and met Dominic, my friend that I will be staying with for the next month. Driving into town, it hit me that I was going to love this city. Interesting architecture, beautifully colorful graffiti and cobblestone roads greeted me. I am staying in Palermo Soho, a very hip area full of boutiques and cafes. Being summer, the patios are all open and you can see people taking their coffees, or even enjoying some ice cream at one of the many ice cream shops. The style is relaxed here, a nice thing to see. I think it is inevitable that you want to compare your travel experiences with those past, and I find myself doing just that with Buenos Aires and Paris. With these comparisons, I can't help but notice how much easier it is to be in a new city, with a new language this time around. That said, I long for the day I can NOT ask someone to repeat themselves with something simple like "i thought you wouldn't want a plastic bag"- ESP. when conversing with one of the very attractive Argentine men, but with due time.

With a new city, a new color. RED. I dyed my hair the day after I arrived, finding a little shop that looked friendly. Again a flashback, explaining to the woman what color, etc. I wanted immediately brought me back to my first doctor's visit in Paris. "I have pain, in this area, below my face, no breathe, hurt. Red?" Pretty funny in retrospect, and here I am again, communication in basic phrases. A bit risky when you think about the fact I could have turned out like Bozo, but success! I am an official redhead and even have the eyebrows to prove it. This involved a return visit to the salon, once i realized my face seemed to be having an identity crisis. But I did successfully call and explain the dilemma on the telephone, by far the most difficult form of communication. I was proud!

A few things strike me in my first week here: Rat tails and Dog Walkers, not necessarily always together, but at times, yes. As for the former, Dom made a comment that the Argentines seemed a bit behind the times with the party-in-back styles, yet it appears that they are actually just way ahead of us. Are Rat Tails making a comeback? Keep your eyes peeled people. Better yet, start growing those tails now, you may just be on the cutting edge! The dog walkers are another story, you see them all over, sometimes with 8 dogs. It's pretty fun to see, though best to avoid walking behind the pack. For your own safety.

I'll be heading to Cordoba tonight on one of Argentina's deluxe bus lines. They are well known in S. America to be nice and comfy. We shall need it, a good 10 hr ride awaits us. Though it's nothing compared to the kilometers we clocked in Peru.

Classes start next week. Wish me luck!

Peru, Pt 2

When I last wrote, we were staying in Mejia, a beach in southern Peru. We were basically staying on a family´s roof, with a beautiful view of the ocean. The moon actually looks differently here! Perhaps this is common knowledge, and unimpressive to some, but I find this extremely interesting. It bends your mind a bit to think of being in a different hemisphere, esp when so many things feel so similar. Ricardo chose that particular place because of the owner. He was really quite charming. When Ric had called, his son answered, then passing it to the mother, then finally to the owner. The whole interaction was so charming, he couldn´t resist.That story came as comfort once I got a look at the beds, noticed open bathroom in the middle of the room and got a good whiff of it all. Thankfully the smell of the ocean was extremely powerful and relaxing.

Then it was time to make our way to Arequipa, a lovely city made primarily of white lava stone. Most large cities have a large plaza de armas in the center, and this one does not disappoint. With large arches on all 4 sides, its quite impressive. There is a beautiful cathedral to the north, and cafes spotted along the plaza. We spent the afternoon at the Monastery, which was built in the 16th century. The monastery is also built with the same rock, though has been painted vivid colors. As you walk through, bright blues surprise you under arches of deep orange. The Monastery is still in use, though of course much smaller than it once was. It was only opened, for the nuns to leave in the 70´s. Meaning before that they would stay secluded, only communicating to the outside world through screens built into the walls. They are now free to go into the city. Can you imagine that first day, going into a city you hadn't seen in years? It was such a peaceful place, it was difficult to leave. I found myself sitting in a small courtyard, green grass, yellow walls, and red roofs...

The city of Arequipa is wonderful to walk. There are quite a few pedestrian streets, cafes, bookstores. The countryside is also something to see. But this applies to all of Peru, not just this area. You often see terraced land, left over from Incan time when they were used for farming. Some are still in use today. Driving you see so many bright colors, not only of the land, but of the people. Bright skirts, hats, shawls are everywhere. Animals too. Llamas. I love seeing them, they all look so inquisitive. The drive from Arequipa to the Colca Canyon, where I am now, was another bumpy drive through the mountains. Walls of rocks line the road, making neat squares as far as you can see.

Colca canyon is beautiful. The summer season is the rainy season, so everything is very green and in bloom. Our friend Mauricio, once again managed to work some magic and booked us at the Casitas del Colca, an incredible 5 star bungalow style hotel in the canyon. Besides the amazing view, the hotel itself was pure luxe. It was a wonderful stay, relaxing and a perfect end to this tour through Peru. I was able to go horseback riding up one of the valleys to a vast view of the canyon. At first I was a bit worried about my horse. He had a "gummy" way of walking as Ricardo called it. When we asked the guide "Esta cansado?" Is he tired?- He just replied that no, he just walked like that! Eventually I found my stride and looked up, WOW. Valley, river, and snow capped mountains greeted us from the top. I took advantage of slow pace of this place to rest up, took many baths in the garden bathroom and was able to do my yoga on the back porch overlooking the valley. Needless to say, it was a highlight.

That next morning we filled up on the delicious buffet breakfast. Leyla and I made sandwiches for the road, common practice on this trip, though felt a bit awkward in this setting. The waiters watch your every move, trying to anticipate your needs, which made things odd when i rolled the sandwiches up in tissue and placed them in our bags. Eyes were adverted. Once a thrifty traveler, always one I suppose. Clearly, we were not their typical clients.

We packed up early from Colca to head back to Lima. It was surprisingly easy to wake up at 5 that morning, in part because of the promise of free breakfast, as previously mentioned, though mainly its so peaceful, you wake refreshed. There were no more late nights out in this place, a nice change. We drove further up into the mountains and saw freshly fallen snow! We had to stop and play in it for awhile before this long drive ahead of us. We actually went from the green canyon, to snow peaked mountains, through desert, and finally all up the coastline seeing Peru's beautiful beeches. This country has been so beautiful to drive.

Time to visit Lima a bit before heading to Buenos Aires! Pisco Sour anyone?

Roadtrip through Peru, Part 1

January 7, 2008

Greetings from Peru! I am at the southern beach of Peru right now, relaxing after many hours in a stuffed car. The trip has been lovely so far. What a beautiful country! I am traveling with a few Peruvian friends, an Iranian, and a Mexican, so we have a nice mix. My Spanish is shaky at best, but improving as I soak it all in.

I will start by reiterating how beautiful Peru is, with so many diverse climates. We went from desert in Lima, to the beach, into the mountains, and finally to lush and "selva alta" (high jungle) at machu picchu. The beach to start out with was great. We stayed at our friend Ricardo´s family's house. Beautiful white homes lined the beach, with a great rooftop to watch the sunset (and drink some pisco, the local alcohol).We spent a few days in Cusco, a city in the mountains, with red roof tops, great crafts, llamas, farms, and incan ruins. The drive was long, but beautiful through the mountains. We were there for new years and partied with the rest of Peru in the square. Everyone shoots fireworks and runs around the square at midnight. Plus the rain. It was a bit crazy, but fun.

And of course, Machu Picchu. I know there are certain places you see in photos, and think, wow, that´s beautiful but it´s a postcard. But this was...beautiful. No other word. A friend managed to get us tickets on the luxury Oriental Express train to and from the site, so we had an oddly luxe time, with great food, music, dancing and sightseeing all the way. The site itself is high in the mountains, you have the sensation of being perched on top of the mountain tops. From the top, you can see all the way down to the river and the train station. It´s just so green and lush, with cloud patterns shaded on the trees and the ruins blending in oddly well with all around them.


From there, back in the car for another long day driving to Lake Titicaca, where the air is so thin at 4,000 meters. We took a long boat ride across the sprawling lake to the island of Taquile. We longed on the top deck, dozing as we looked at the outstreched water and far off shore. Our boat driver was from the island and showed us around. It took me forever to climb up to the main square because of the altitude, but once I made it, it was worth it. Blue waters stretched forever until you saw the mountains of Bolivia. The island itself is tight knit community. Everything is co-oped and shared. On the way back we stopped at the islands of Uros, floating islands made of straw! It was odd and incredibly interesting. The islands have been in existence since the native people fled from the Spaniards. I have been taking photos, and will be sure to send you the link once I am able to upload them all.

I don´t think I have yet to mention the food, but DELICIOUS. I have had some truly good meals, as well as yummy corn from the markets. We had delicious fresh fish and quinoa soup on Taquile, maybe one of my favorites so far. We will be heading to Arequipa next, a beautiful white stoned town, then to the Colca canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon. Then finally, back to Lima.

I am thinking of you all and look forward to hearing from you!

Love

K